LED Kitchen Lighting

Incandescent bulbs are on their way out. The higher
wattage bulbs are already banned, others to follow. The use a lot of
energy for the amount of light they produce. Many times, a CFL
equivalent is a great choice, but they have some downsides. They don't
work well in cold climates outdoors, and they typically are slow to warm up
to full intensity.

LEDs are ever gaining ground. Initially they were
very directional, stark white - almost bluish, and incredibly expensive.
The prices have come down, the color spectrum now is available in warm
white, and they have a high enough intensity that a diffuser is effective.

The kitchen in our new (to us) house has four 75W spotlights, for a total
of 300W. I bought four new LED lights. They are 75W equivalent
intensity, but only use 14W each, for a total of 56W. Eventually I'll
put the lighting circuit on Alt-Power.

I must say that we are both very impressed with the intensity, and color
of these lights. Friends and family did not know these were LED
lights, even when asked if they noticed anything different. The color
is warm, they are bright, and the light is nicely dispersed, rather than an
intense spot. They are full intensity as soon as they come on, no warm
up time. There is about a 1/2 second delay from flipping the switch,
to getting light. Not an issue, just a note.

These are still a long way from being cheap. $38 each at Home
Depot, but rated at a 23 year lifespan. No, I don't think they'll
really last that long. But if they go greater than 10 years, I'll be
highly impressed. They have a 5 year warranty, and I'll be keeping the
receipt until then.

In the fine print it mentions these are only suitable from
indoor/dry locations. These aren't robust enough for applications like
outdoor security lights. I've bought a number of smaller LED
replacement lights for other areas of my home, and I'm generally pleased
with their performance. Other than the initial cost, these get two
thumbs up from our house.